Perennial

by Potter, Ryan

  He’s just staring at me, Lewis wearing a pair of perfect-fitting black jeans and a long-sleeved black crew-neck tee that sticks to his chest, shoulders, and arms like a second skin. It’s like he knows I’m angry with him, and he’s simply waiting for me to get out and start the fight.

  “Fine,” I say, opening the door and hoping he can read my lips. “If this is how you want to do it, this is how we’ll do it.” I open the glove compartment and grab Blade. The knife isn’t moving, meaning I’m fairly confident Lewis isn’t a demon. Still, I sheathe the shimmering weapon in my back pocket just in case things get weird. “So many lies,” I whisper, stepping out of the Explorer and slamming the door. “So many lies.”

  He stands and folds his arms across his chest, Lewis looking me dead in the eyes and not blinking as I walk up the concrete path leading to the porch and stop a few feet away from him. I feel like screaming, but that’s the old, fly-off-the-handle Alix. That’s the Alix Mom and Dad worked so hard to fix.

  Well, Mom and Dad, it finally worked, because I’ve seen things called Brawlers and Heaters that can get you killed if you overreact to them, and after learning about the real Mr. Watkins this morning, I can’t imagine discovering anything else that could possibly come close to sending me over the emotional cliff.

  I adjust my glasses and glare at Lewis, waiting for him to say something.

  He won’t speak, so I roll my eyes and say, “Okay, you want me to start?” There’s no response, just that cold, unblinking stare. The only good news is that he doesn’t look stoned. “Here we go then,” I say. “You’re probably wondering why I wasn’t in school today. Well, I took a little field trip. First of all, you don’t have grandparents on Bloomfield Street. The address you gave me doesn’t even exist. Second, you never went to Eastland High. I know because I went there and had a secretary search your name. In fact, there’s no history of you ever attending any school in Eastland.”

  I pause and wait for a reaction from him that doesn’t come.

  “Jesus, Lewis, say something, okay?” He doesn’t, and he still hasn’t blinked. “How can you just lie to me like that? And how dare you take advantage of me like you did yesterday. I told you how I felt about you. I said it was all new for me, and that I didn’t want any games.” I jab a finger toward his chest. “I don’t know about any of the other girls you’ve been with, but I’m not somebody you can just use and lie to, you idiot.” I throw my hands in the air. “I mean, who are you anyway? And what’s your role in this whole William thing? Because I know you’re involved, Lewis.” I groan and look skyward. “Please, just say something before I punch you in the face.” Silence. I exhale deeply, look him in the eyes, and say, “Last chance. Have you told me the truth about anything since I met you?”

  He stands there like a statue, arms still folded in front of him. I reach out and plow my hands into his powerful chest. He barely moves, just a slight backwards tilt as he continues to hold my gaze.

  “Talk,” I say, giving him another shove that accomplishes nothing. “Why are you being like this? Come with me right now and show me where your grandparents live, because I know you have to live in Beaconsfield to go to school here.”

  I grab his arms and pull, but he won’t move. He’s like a stubborn dog.

  “Screw you, Lewis!” I ram the bottom of my fist down onto his forearm. “I hate you!” I reach up, grab his shoulders, and start shaking him as if he’s a stuffed animal. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

  He continues staring at me as I jolt him back and forth. As much as I want to burst into tears from all the pain and hurt his silence is causing me, I manage to hold back.

  Exhausted, I finally stop shaking him. Then I drop my head and slowly run my hands down his sleeves before finally letting go once I reach his wrists.

  It’s the blue I see first, just a hint of it along his left wrist. His arms are still folded. The rest of the colorful mouth appears as I push the cuff of Lewis’s sleeve above his wrist and past his forearm. I feel my own mouth drop open at the sight of the dragon’s green eyes and purple, red, and orange head.

  “What the …?” I swallow hard, my mouth going dry.

  I glance at Lewis. He finally blinks. He looks more at peace and far more comfortable now. I pull his left arm toward me with both hands. Lewis doesn’t fight it and fully extends his arm. The rest of the brilliant dragon tattoo emerges as I force the sleeve up past his large, toned bicep, stopping only when I reach his shoulder and can’t move the fabric any further.

  The dragon is identical to those William had on his arms. The ink looks brand new, the tattoo an intricate full-color work of art. There’s a moment where I think Lewis must have arrived here directly from the tattoo artist, but an ornate, full arm design like this must take numerous sessions to complete.

  “Your shirts,” I say. “I’ve never seen you in anything but long sleeves.” I run my fingers along the length of the dragon. “It’s the same as Will …” I trail off, remembering that Lewis has no idea I’ve had contact with William’s ghost.

  A slight smile crosses Lewis’s face. I feel like he’s reading my mind.

  “What’s going on?” I whisper.

  He glances at his opposite arm and extends it toward me. The long sleeve still covers his skin like a magician’s secret curtain.

  Heart thumping, I begin pushing up the sleeve on Lewis’s right arm, feeling dizzy as I once again see a colorful open mouth followed by the incredible combinations of green, blue, orange, and purple that comprise the remainder of the arm-length Japanese dragon.

  They have identical tattoos, I say to myself. I don’t understand why, but William and Lewis have the exact same tattoos.

  That’s the thought that keeps looping through my mind as I gently lower Lewis’s bare arms to his sides. I’m feeling dizzier now, but I do notice that Lewis’s arms are even more muscular than I imagined. In fact, he’s just as muscular as …

  As if sensing my growing loss of balance, Lewis extends his dragon-covered arms again, this time placing his strong hands around my waist. I can’t make sense of what’s happening. Things are spinning. I’m angry, curious, excited, and fascinated.

  I manage a deep breath and feel a touch of stability returning as he holds me in place.

  “Who are you, Lewis?” I say, the words barely audible through my dry mouth. “I need to know, because I don’t have much time.”

  Lewis looks so peaceful, almost childlike as he takes a step back and removes his hands from my waist. He raises his arms and turns his palms so that they’re facing up. As he does so, I notice how the matching dragons seem to follow his movements and wrap around his arms.

  I’m not sure what he wants me to do. We stare at each other. His palms continue facing skyward. Then he gives me a slight nod, and I realize what’s happening.

  “You know,” I say, fighting the dizziness again. “You know what I can do, don’t you?” His lips curl into a smile. “You want me to read you?” He continues smiling. I think about Blade, still motionless in my back pocket. That’s good.

  Gazing into Lewis’s wonderful eyes, I say it again, knowing this will be the final time I need to ask.

  “Who are you, Lewis Wilde?”

  He glances at his tattoos before looking into my eyes.

  Then he says, “It’s all in the name, Alix.”

  I take his hands and squeeze.

  The flash of white light is so powerful this time that it jerks me forward several inches and forces me to close my eyes. I feel William stabilizing me as the clearest word cloud yet flashes through my head. This is what it says:

  LEWIS WILDE = WILLIS WEED

  Confusion sets in. I’ve yet to see a word cloud like this one, so I have to analyze it in my mind’s eye for a few moments. And when I finally see the obvious anagram, I feel like everything around me is falling.

  Ten letters in each name. The same ten letters. And the same ten letters create the same two names.

  Sile
nce. Then:

  Lewis Wilde is Willis Weed.

  White light flares, taking the word cloud with it.

  I gasp and open my eyes. He’s still here. I’m wobbly. I grip his hands tighter.

  “William?”

  “Hello, Alix. I’m sorry it had to take this long.”

  “William?” I say it again, unable to believe what I’m seeing and hearing.

  “It’s me.” He finally shows those perfect teeth. “But I really do prefer Willis.”

  “William?”

  “Yes?” he says. “Are you okay, Alix?”

  “Oh God,” I say, losing all sense of balance. “Catch me, William.”

  The last thing I see is a pair of brilliant dragons coming closer to my face. Then I pass out in the muscular arms of the living ghost of William “Willis” Weed, my Dream Guy in the flesh.

  Episode 6

  Chapter 26

  My world has gone black, but I feel two large, powerful hands—one holding up the back of my head, the other gently massaging the length of my left arm. I’m lying down somewhere. If this is a bed, it has the world’s most uncomfortable mattress.

  But it’s not a bed. It’s the porch.

  Lewis Wilde. William Weed. One and the same. A living ghost.

  At first I feel relief at the realization that I can toss all of those conflicting emotions about Lewis and William out the window. He’s real! William is real! I no longer have to feel guilty about simultaneously falling in love with a ghost and an actual person.

  But an overwhelming fury soon smothers the relief. William tricked me for three days. And how about all that time I spent feeling guilty about the conflicting feelings? How could I not realize it myself? All of the clues were right under my nose.

  I think back to “Lewis’s” sudden appearance and disappearance in the middle of the street Tuesday morning. I mean, how weird was that? And what about all of “Lewis’s” stories about his friendship with William? Lies. Lies. Lies.

  I open my eyes and sit up, instinctively pushing William’s hands away and scrambling to my feet. William stands as well, the two of us studying each other on the porch now, a few feet separating us. I reach behind me and feel Blade, secure and motionless in my back pocket.

  “It’s okay, Alix,” he says, making a calming gesture with his hands. “It’s me. It’s William. I know you’re angry. I would be too.”

  “You have no idea,” I say. “What about Lewis? Was there ever a Lewis, or has it been you since Tuesday morning?”

  “What do you think?” He shrugs.

  I look out toward the pristine lawn and a quiet Maple Grove Street.

  “Did he ever exist?” I say. “The whole story about the alternative academy and Lewis getting clean and trying to help you? Was there ever a Lewis?” I rub my forehead. “And everything else, like the whole Aruna thing.” I pause. “God, there’s so much more, and you made it all up, didn’t you? You’re one big lie.”

  “I had to,” he says, watching the street as if he’s waiting for somebody.

  “What are you talking about? You had to? What does that even mean?”

  “Alix, I’m almost positive Vagabond doesn’t know I crossed over,” he says, looking at me. “If he knew, he would’ve pulled me back by now.”

  “What?” I squint. “Jesus. You need to leave, William. I have no idea what you’re up to, but you don’t mess with Vagabond. You know who and what he is. He’ll crush you, and I don’t want any part of it. I might not like Vagabond, but right now he’s my boss.” I point toward the sidewalk. “Leave. I mean it. Go away and never come back. I’ll solve your murder, but I’ll do it on my own. I can’t have you around if I expect to pass this test.”

  William stands there, determined and not showing any sign of leaving.

  “Damn you, William. Vagabond promised me my mom, okay? That’s what I get out of this. I get to see my mom, and I won’t let you or anybody else jeopardize that, so turn around and stay out of my life forever!”

  “You don’t understand,” William says. “Vagabond’s rules still apply. I know what this means to you, and I know what it means to me. I took a huge risk in doing this, but I didn’t do it to interfere with your test.”

  I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips. “Then why did you do it? Why are you here?”

  “I didn’t cross over to help you, Alix. I crossed over because I love you.” His green eyes seem to stare clear through to my soul. “I’m in love with you, okay? I knew it from the moment we first made contact Monday night. I crossed over Tuesday morning. There’s a reason you almost ran me over that day. That’s the moment I showed up. If it seemed like I appeared out of nowhere, it’s because I did.”

  I shake my head and look away. All of the hints and connections about his true identity continue running through my mind.

  “You were gone when I looked in my rearview mirror,” I say. “You said you took some shortcut your grandpa told you about. I knew you were lying, but I didn’t expect this.” I exhale deeply and stare at him. “You really did just disappear, didn’t you?”

  He nods.

  “And what about school? How did you register at Beaconsfield if you don’t even exist?”

  “Here’s the thing,” he says. “I’m not registered. I figured I’d get away with it for a day, and I did, but I was surprised when nobody said anything to me yesterday. I guess it’s because every adult in the building is so rattled about Mr. Watkins. Two teachers finally asked me for my name today when they realized I wasn’t on their rosters. Mr. Dobbins was one of them. Actually, Dobbins told me I wasn’t even in the attendance system.” William shrugs. “I played dumb and said it must have something to do with me being a new student. It worked, but they’ll know something’s up tomorrow.” He pauses and looks away. “It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow’s my last day anyway.”

  “Last day here,” I say, indicating everything around us. “As you are now, you mean. As William.”

  “I’m a ghost with a deadline,” he says, looking back at me. “The same deadline as you. I’m gone at the end of tomorrow, whether you solve my murder or not.”

  There’s a silence during which I remember something important about my conversation with Vagabond.

  “You’re right,” I say. “Vagabond doesn’t know you’re here.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Yesterday I told him a guy at school named Lewis Wilde told me what Perennial was. Vagabond had no idea who Lewis was.”

  “Well, that’s good then,” William says, nodding. “That’s excellent actually.”

  “I need to know how you did it. Because at this point I don’t trust anybody or anything except my own abilities and a certain silver friend in my back pocket.” I fold my arms in front of my chest and give him a look. “I hate liars, William, and right now I don’t know whether I should punch you or kiss you.”

  William says, “I’ll tell you how I pulled it off, but first let me just say that I honestly thought you would figure out the Lewis Wilde anagram sooner. And yes, I’ve told a lot of lies, but I had to in order to keep Vagabond off my trail. I never lied to deceive you. I was being honest when I told you time and distance had lessened my feelings for Aruna. I don’t love Aruna, Alix. There was a time when I did, but that was long ago.”

  As angry as I am, I can’t help but like that statement. Unfortunately, the joy I feel disappears when Blade suddenly begins vibrating in my back pocket.

  “Tell me how you did it.” My muscles tense involuntarily. It’s as if my body is preparing for a fight before my brain even knows one is coming. “And you better make it quick.”

  “I cut a deal,” he says, unable to hold my gaze.

  “With who?”

  “You won’t like it.”

  “Who did you make a deal with, William?”

  Blade’s movements intensify.

  “I made a deal with the Army of Fire,” he says.

  I reach behind me with incredible speed an
d grasp Blade’s handle.

  “Alix, no!” William raises his hands to the point where they look like stop signs. “I know what you can do with the knife, so just stop and hear me out, okay?”

  “You made a deal with demons?” I say, glaring at his dragon tattoos as I release the handle and bring my hand back in front of me. Blade protests and goes wild in my pocket. “You made a deal with evil? How could you, William?”

  “I’m trying to tell you, but I need you to listen.”

  “My knife is telling me to do otherwise.”

  “Think back to Monday night and the first dream,” he says. “Vagabond used me as a guinea pig to see if we could make contact. It worked, but doing something like that doesn’t come without risks for him. By making me active in the Light world, he also made my presence known to the Fire world. The moment I saw you, I knew I had to find a way to be with you. Fire must have sensed this, because one of their messengers offered me the deal right after the first dream ended.”

  “What exactly did you agree to?” I say, relieved that Blade is settling down, meaning William must be telling the truth now.

  “Fire said I could use a portal to cross over and be with you until Vagabond’s deadline. I agreed. I didn’t care what they wanted.”

  “Where’s the portal?”

  “You know where it is.”

  “Oval City?” I say. William nods. “What did they want, William? What does Fire get out of this?”

  William takes a deep breath. “I agreed that if you fail to solve my murder, Fire can have my soul.” He pauses. “Forever.”

  I stand there in stunned silence, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. I suddenly understand why Blade wanted me to attack William just now and why I saw fire after the light during my reading on “Lewis” when we shared our second kiss in his truck.